Family History Publications By Kimberly Brown, Family Historian
Have you exhausted all your resources in searching for your genealogy? Are you looking for more research advice? Do you need a monthly (or bimonthly) dose of motivation to remind you to keep working on your family tree? These are all reasons to subscribe to a family history publication.
Whether it’s an e-mail newsletter like this one, or whether it’s a print magazine in your mailbox, publications can help you learn new research techniques, stay abreast of new technologies, and discover new libraries and archives.
There are many different publications to choose from. Family Tree Magazine, the nation’s leading family history magazine, contains primarily how-to articles and basic research advice. It runs at $24 per year, with seven issues per year. Ancestry Magazine is also a how-to magazine, although it also includes a few case studies in every issue. The magazine runs six issues per year for a price of $18. Everton’s Genealogical Helper and Family Chronicle are other well-known family history magazines.
There are also more scholarly journals, geared towards professionals rather than genealogy hobbyists. The National Genealogical Society Quarterly is one of these. As the most prestigious publication in the field of genealogy, it is the journal that all professionals aspire to be published in.
There are also publications that are sent out by archives or libraries themselves. Archive publications often include region-specific research guidance and case studies in which the researcher utilized records in the archive. The New England Historical and Genealogical Register is one such publication. It has been published by the New England Historic Genealogical Society every quarter since 1847!
Some publications are produced by historical or genealogical societies. The well-known quarterly The Hoosier Genealogist, for instance, was published by the Indiana Historical Society. It contained many articles related to Indiana family history.
Aside from magazines, quarterlies, and scholarly journals pertaining to family history, there are podcasts, e-mail newsletters, and blogs you can subscribe to. Find one you like, and don’t give up your family history research.